Fortunately many successful clubs (eg Topic Folk Club - 60 years old last year) are more enlightened and, as well as booking more established artists, they 'take a punt on some new kid with only five or six years of festivals and concert venues under his/her belt'. In fact they 'take a punt' on young musicians with much less experience than that and see it as part of their role to encourage and support new talent.

They even welcome young people on their Committee shock horror!